Conveyer and guide



SePf- 17, l929- A. BROADMEYER 1,728,328

CONVEYER AND GUIDE' Filed Sept. 21, 1927 3mm/Lion) Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED sra'rris PATENT oFFICE ALBERT BROADMEYER, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE W. O. HICKOK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A. GOR-y PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIAy CONVEYER AND GUIDE Application led September 21, 1927. Serial Nc.220,9`91`.

The present invention relates to guides and conveyers for paper sheets and the like, and is particularly intended for devices of this character that are interposed between the sheet feeder and the instrumentality that operates on the sheet, as for instance,

a folder, ruling machine and the like.

The object in the present invention is to provide conveying means of a simple and l0 effective character that will move the sheet to and along the guide and prevent its being turned so that it will pass cornerways into the mechanism that is to operate on it.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a conveying mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2*2 of Figure 1 and yon an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the present embodiment, a suitable support for the paper sheets is employed, shown in the form of transversely disposed rods 5, on which are placed supporting bars 6. These bars are preferably mounted on the rods 5 by means of spring clips 7 secured to the bars and frictionally embracing the rods 5. Obviously therefore the bars may be adjusted toward and from each other to suit the Widths of the paper sheets that are intended to be passed therecver.

The sheets are delivered by anyy suitable mechanism, as a feeder (not shown), these sheets being delivered on to the bars 6 by rollers 8.

Alongside the bars is a guide 9 preferably of angle iron, one ange 10 of which is disposed in upstanding relation, the other Hange 11 being horizont-ally arranged and constituting a ysupport for the margins of the sheets. This tiange 11 is provided with openings 12 and engaged in said openings are the upper sides of suction rollers 13. These suction rollers are preferably fixed to shafts 14 journaled in brackets 15 secured to the underside of the `guide rod 9. Thek brackets are Aprovided with intake, or. suction vconduits 16 terminating in nipples 17 to .which ahoser18 is connected.' It will be understood that the hose is in turn con nected to the intake of a pump or other suitable vacuum apparatus. The intake port 19 of the bracket opens through theL rear. side of said bracket and is traversed by a series of suction *portsl 20 that open through ythe periphery of the suction roller.

The arrangement is such, as shown in Figure 2, "t-hat'the uppermost suction port y 2O is in register Withthe conduit 16 when the portion of ythe Wheel carrying such port is in the opening 12 of the guide flange 11. @An air-tight joint is maintained between the roller 13 and its bracket 15 by alcoiled yspring 21 bearing against an abutment 22 on ,the shaft 14.

The various shafts are geared together as shown at 23, and are in turn driven by a gear 24 iiXed on the shaft of the upper roller 8.` .It willL be noted by refer-y ence to Figure 1 that the shafts 14, gears 23 and suction rollers 13 are disposed at an inclination to' the guide flange `10, this `inclination beingsuch thaty as the upper sides kof the' suction rollers move rearwardly, they move toward the guide` flange `10.` t'

lV ith this construction as the sheets are delivered on to the bars 6, the margins that rest upon the ange l1 of the guide are caused tofadhere to the upper surface of the suction rollers k13 by reason of the indraft of air through the ports 20. Con sequently the sheets are not only moved rearwardly along the supporting bars 6 by the suction rollers, but are drawn up against the flange 10 and maintained against said flange throughout their travel so that their front edges are maintained at right angles to the inner face of said flange 10.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention Will be apparent to those skilled in the art, Without further description, and it Will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of yconstruction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sac- 5 rificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim, is: Y l. In sheet. conveying and guiding means, the combination with a guide, having means y for engaging the edge of the sheets, of a plurality of suction rollers located in the guide and yconstituting means for moving the sheets longitudinally along the guide and against the edge-engaging means.

2. In sheet conveying and guiding means, the combination with a guidehaving means forengaging the edge of the sheets and having openings,-ofa plurality of suction rollers located in the openings and constitutingmeans for moving the sheets along the guide and against the edge engaging means.

3. In sheet conveying and guiding means,

the combination with a guide bar of angularly disposed sections, one having openings i z5 therethrough, of a plurality of rollers disposed at an inclination to the guide bar and located in the openings and constituting means that engage the margins of the sheets 'for moving the sheets along the guide, and

means outside the guide for supporting the sheets.

4. In sheet conveying and guiding means, the combination With a support for sheets and means for delivering sheets thereto, of

a guide located along one side of the sheet support, suction rollers set With their axes of rotation at an inclination to the guide, means for driving the rollers to cause the sheets toghe moved thereby and to be main- 4:0 tained against the guide, means for creating lsuction through the rollers, and means other than said guide bar and rollers for supporting the bodies of the sheets.'

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature.

ALBERT BROADMEYER. 

